When: February 13, 7:00PM
Where: DeWitt United Methodist Church
222 12th Street, DeWitt, IA 52742
Admission: Free Will Donation
About the Music:
Composed in 1945, Olivier Messiaen's Harawi is a twelve-song cycle based around the themes of love and death (l'amour and la mort). Demanding the height of virtuosity from both performers, the cycle is representative of Messiaen's style during the 1940s. Standing alongside such works as the Quatuor pour la fin du temps, Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant Jésus, and Turangalîla Symphony, Harawi's lush, vibrant musical language is reminiscent of Debussy, Stravinsky, and Wagner, all the while remaining unique and unmistakably Messiaen. The cycle features Messiaen's own symbolist text in which he assembles a surreal mosaic of Andean mythology, cosmic mystery, birdsong, and onomatopoetic sounds.
The song cycle was genre of personal significance to Messiaen. Harawi was preceded by Poèmes pour Mi (1936) and Chants de terre et de ciel (1938), both of which were dedicated to Messiaen's first wife, Claire Delbos. Messiaen composed Harawi as Delbos's mental health deteriorated. Her illness required institutionalized care, and she died in a sanitarium in 1959. Scholars have often speculated that Messiaen's decision to write a song cycle based around the concepts of love and death as Delbos health declined is representative of his grief over the loss of his wife.
About the Musicians:
Brooklyn based pianist Karl Larson is a specialist in the music of our time, consistently presenting adventurous programs. Karl has premiered many solo piano and chamber pieces, including works by David Lang, David Rakowski, Ken Thomson, Robert Honstein, Chris Cerrone, and Ravi Kittappa. He is also well versed in the modern canon, having presented concerts featuring the music of Olivier Messiaen, Morton Feldman, Pierre Boulez, and György Ligeti. Recent performances of note include Morton Feldman's Triadic Memories, John Cage's HPSCHD, and Tristan Perich's Dual Synthesis for harpsichord and one-bit electronics.
A sought after collaborator, Larson has worked with many notable musicians from around the country, including Tristan Perich, Mantra, Eve Beglarian, the Eco Ensemble, the Sleeping Giant Composer Collective, and the W4 Composer Collective. He has also collaborated with members of the Bang On a Can All-Stars, Ensemble Signal, Eighth Blackbird, the California E.A.R. Unit, Ensemble Dal Niente, and the Mivos Quartet. He has been featured on the Bang on a Can Marathon, the MATA Festival, WQXR's Hammered!, the Vanguard Series, the Columbus-NYC New Music Exchange, the Contagious Sounds Series, the Frequency Series, Make Music New York, the Red Note New Music Festival, the Ball State New Music Festival, the Music in the Shape of a Pear Festival, and the Bowling Green State University New Music Festival.
Karl received a DMA in Contemporary Music and an MM in Piano Performance at Bowling Green State University, where he studied with Dr. Laura Melton. Larson completed his undergraduate degree at Luther College as a pupil of Dr. John Strauss. He is on faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Recordings and further information can be found at karllarsonpiano.com.
Finding joy in variety, Liz Pearse is a musician of many pursuits. After a childhood spent playing any instrument she could lay hands upon, Liz began exploring the endless possibilities of the voice. Hers is an instrument possessing an unusual range, color, and versatility, which has led to performances of music - medieval to modern - on opera, orchestra, chamber, and recital stages around the world.
Liz recently had the privilege of performing at the Lucerne Festival, singing Luciano Berio's massive Coro under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. She has also performed at the soundSCAPE Festival in Italy, where in 2013 she shared the distinction of "Outstanding Performer" with her brother, conductor and percussionist John J. Pearse. Other chamber and solo engagements have included the Toronto Electroacoustic Symposium; (le) poisson rouge; Omaha Under the Radar; Kerrytown Concert House; Baldwin Wallace University; and Constellation Chicago. Her opera credits include Michigan Opera Theatre, Toledo Opera, and Opera in the Ozarks, in addition to many performances with Indiana University and Bowling Green State University Opera Theatre.
As a doctoral student of Contemporary Music at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Liz researches the prevalence and incorporation of contemporary repertoire in the collegiate voice studio. Doctoral recitals included Messiaen's Harawi and an electroacoustic program, among a diverse range of art song and chamber programs. She also won both the Dr. Marjorie Conrad Art Song Competition and the BGSU Competitions in Music concerto competition while at BG, and her mentor at BGSU is Dr. Jane Schoonmaker Rodgers. Prior to her doctoral work, Liz studied with Patricia Stiles at Indiana University. Recordings and more information about Liz can be found at lizpearse.com.
